Page:Chipperfield--Unseen Hands.djvu/155

Rh chief turned to Odell. "It seems as though you had the right dope; Drew must have had word from that Chalmers lad and beaten it, and that adds more color to your theory. If he isn't mixed up in this thing he would have stuck around and played the friend of the family and braved it out."

Odell rose.

"I've got to get a line on him and I won't call it a day until I have," he announced. "It's only ten o'clock; I'll go back to the Meade house and have it out with Gene."

He had started for the door when the telephone on the captain's desk whirred and instinctively he waited.

"Yes.—Who?—Oh, it's you, is it. Porter? The sergeant? Yes, he's here."

Odell sprang forward and seized the receiver.

"Hello, Porter. Where are you 'phoning from?"

"Is that you, Sergeant?" Porter fairly yelped with excitement. "I'm talking from the booth in Volkert's drug store over on Third Avenue; you know the place, we had him up a couple of months ago for selling 'snow.

"What are you doing there?" demanded the exasperated Odell. "I left you to watch Gene Chalmers. The last I heard of you, you were playing cards with him."

"Yes, and he rooked me," Porter retorted. "I'm trailing him now. He's just across the street in a tailor's shop next the corner; it was all closed and dark but he let himself in with a key. There is only one entrance unless he goes out some back way, and I don't believe he will, for he thinks he lost me at the house. He's a slick guy for fair."

"Keep your eye on that shop till I get there," ordered